Fluid-Structure Interaction of Human Upper Airways
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Biomedical engineering (MPBME), MSc
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Papakarmezis, Leandros
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
This thesis investigates the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) of a Starling Resistor to
understand the mechanics behind wheezing, which is a common respiratory symptom.
By using a combination of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and structural
analysis, the study applies a partitioned FSI approach to simulate the interaction
between airflow and a Starling Resistor. The results of this study present the first
valid FSI simulation that models wheezing. In addition, the research investigates
how changes in the shape of airways, particularly narrowing in the middle part,
affect the flow speed and distribution of pressure. The simulations show how air
moves and how the structures change, capture the frequency of the onset of tube’s
oscillations. The results suggest that the increase in pressure at the inlet of the
tube in combination with the external pressure that act on the tube, is the primary
mechanism causing the tube’s oscillations. This study provides valuable insights
into how fluids and structures interact in collapsible airways and contributes to the
broader field of respiratory mechanics, especially for wheezing. The results could
help in developing better tools for diagnosis and strategies for treating respiratory
conditions. Also, future work could focus on improving the simulation models by using
more advanced mesh designs, models that account for turbulent flow, finer time
steps to accurately capture the exact start and frequency of tube movement and
an improvement of signal processing to analyze the tube oscillations with a wavelet
process. These improvements could lead to more precise and predictive models,
ultimately benefiting both clinical practice and patient diagnoses.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
wheezing , collapsible tubes , starling resistor , STAR-CCM+ , FSI , CFD , Fourier transform , oscillations